August 2015 Part 2

We hustled from the airport toward the church because Dad had an interview with a prospective missionary and along the way Dad let us (me, Ben, Elder Lees, and Elder Kim Jong Suk) out to walk down one of the main roads to find a place to get some dinner. We went to the same Mr. Pizza restaurant that we have gone to before and as we were walking back we met this man named John, and his two boys. Actually, John saw us first and asked where we were from, and when we asked where he was from we found out that he is from the same town as Elder Lees, in Kirkland, WA! Small world! No coincidences. John was walking toward the KAL hotel which is where he was staying and also where we were staying. I took this picture to send to him and then arranged for dad to call him on Tuesday. Dad found out where John and his family live, in the Seoul area, and talked a little about where Dad served in his mission back when he was on his first mission.

After attending the baptism on Sunday we had to quickly drive to the airport to catch our flight to Jeju Island for zone conference on Monday. We went from the northern most part of our mission to the southern most part all in that day. I don’t know the significance of this big blue statue/artwork but I don’t recall it being there the last time we flew a few weeks ago.

Wednesday was Ben’s first day of school, his last first day of school ever (as a child living at home). It was a “half” day so Dad drove us all to BIFS, Busan International Foreign School. Ben knew where he needed to go. Dad stayed in the car and worked on missionary letters. I went into the school for the PTA meeting. I met a few Navy moms and sat with them. After the PTA meeting I went back to the car to see Dad, before going back inside for the assembly and the ice cream YUM! I helped pass out the ice cream treats to the middle school and high school students.

When Sister Shin and I stepped out of the car we were each handed this beautiful bouquet of flowers. I always feel so special whenever I receive a corsage or flowers like this. I had to take a picture of the lunch we were served right after the Sunday meetings (Sacrament Meeting and then Sunday School which Elder Choi of the Asia North Area Presidency was in charge of). The upper left compartment held kimchee, which Ben finished for me(Dad had some did not). The upper middle compartment held a pale yellow something which I tasted(mustard covered cabbage??). The middle compartment also held something, I don’t know what it was, that looked like flower shaped something. It actually reminded me of the shape of Honey Comb cereal. It didn’t really taste like anything. The upper right compartment held triangular pieces of prepared rice which has been shaped/processed and then sits in a spicy red sauce hot too spicy). I tasted it and even ate a couple of pieces, because I was hungry, not because I liked it. The bottom right compartment held a bland soup, flavored with dried seaweed called kim the green stuff. I tried it even though I knew what it was, and I don’t like it. The bottom left compartment had rice and slivers of ham, but the ham they call pork, and it’s not cured or salty, just bland. Ok, I tried it all except the kimchee (I don’t like kimchee). I ate the rice and pork. I think Ben said something about never having any expectations about Korean food. He just eats it.

These are our returned missionaries from our mission who attended the YSA conference. I finally “get it”, understand, or feel a little bit of what you who have returned home from your missions have felt when you gathered at mission reunions with those whom you served. It was wonderful to see these young people, and then even more wonderful to give them a hug. It was exciting to meet a few of their boyfriends or girlfriends. I gave them hugs, too(after I asked if it was a boyfriend/not just a friend). Irish I had had time to ask questions/interview them (I kind feel like nobody is good enough for OUR missionaries).One sister in particular was more emotional than I expected, when hearing our talks/testimonies. I spoke, then Dad, then Sister Shin, then President Shin, then an area seventy ‘Elder Kim, then Elder Choi, in the Asia North Asia Presidency. I expected the single adults to be affected by what these great men had to say. But it was wonderful for me to feel such love for all of the single adults in attendance, to feel Heavenly Father’s love for all of them, to share that with them. Great meeting. Wonderful privilege to be there. I’m glad Ben could be there with us. Sister Lee Subin, Sister Yoon, Sister Bae, Sister Sung Mina, Sister Park, me and Dad Elder Noh, Elder Park, Elder Kim Taeun, BenIt’s fun to have little snippets of memories of each of these missionaries! Like the most recent memory was at the end of the Sacrament Meeting when Kim Taeun was supposed to give the closing prayer, but he had fallen asleep! The young man conducting the meeting didn’t just ask someone else to quickly come up to give the prayer, he asked Kim Taeunagain to come up, waited and waited for him until he did!

I asked if I could take a picture of Ben with the Choi’s and they were gracious enough to let us does that. I didn’t want to bother them, especially as they were eating their lunch, but we had to leave early/quickly in order to take the Shin’s to the train station to arrive before their train left. We had about a two and a half hour drive. Plus, it was a holiday weekend (Korea’s independence from Japan in 1945, I think that’s what Sister Shin said) so there was lots of traffic. I’m sure many people ask to have their picture taken with the Choi’s, so I didn’t want to bother them, but I am going to take advantage of a great opportunity!